Insights

A rebrand and a brand refresh are not the same thing. What changes, when each fits, and five questions to decide, with examples from well-known brands.

The 27 projects in Magnet’s portfolio counted by sector and service: how many include licensing, which services go together and what the numbers say.

What licensed merchandise is, how it differs from promotional gadgets, the three kinds (brands, characters, famous people), where it sells and why the licence matters.

How sports licensing works: market size, who holds the rights among clubs, athletes and collective uses, the sticker album example and the products that work.

How a company chooses the character or brand to license: audience, classics and novelties, questions to ask the owner and the numbers to run before signing.

Who the licensor is, who the licensee is and how tasks are split in a licensing programme: rights, approvals, production, royalties and reports.

What brand extension is, how it differs from line extension, what research says, in-house or under licence, and how to tell if it makes sense.

What a licensing agency does for brand owners and for manufacturers, how it is paid and what to ask before giving it a project.

The points of a trademark licence agreement to settle before the draft: subject, exclusivity, territory, term, payment, approvals and the end of the contract.

What the style guide a brand or character owner gives licensees contains, how it is updated and how it ties into product approvals.